10 years ago today.

Today Viktor and I celebrate our TEN year anniversary. I’m happy to report that despite unemployment looming on the horizon, we are happier than ever. We’re honestly living our dream: a happy marriage, two kids {one boy, one girl}, amazing friends, and a beautiful house in the suburbs. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

So, as is only appropriate after 10 years of marriage, the 10 things I love most about Viktor:

1. I’m absolutely, 110% smitten with him. Completely taken. No regrets, no what-ifs, or woulda, coulda, shoulda.
2. He’s an amazing father. Amazing.
3. He creates fun wherever, whenever, for whomever. There is not a dull moment with Viktor around. And even when I’m laughing {a guilty laugh} and telling him to stop, I still secretly want him to keep doing whatever he did to make me laugh in the first place.
4. His heart is much bigger than his head. Which is no small feat. A few years ago I casually mentioned to him that I’d never owned my own bike growing up, that I’d always gotten the second and third hand bicycles of my older siblings. He leapt out of bed mid-conversation {really late at night}, got dressed and left the house, only to return an hour later with a fully assembled cruiser bike just for me. Then he made me get out of bed so he could “pump” me around the neighborhood in the dark, on the handlebars. He’s spontaneous, thoughtful, & fun like that.
5. After we’ve come home from an event {of any kind} he’ll offhandedly tell me I was definitely not the ugliest woman in the room. It’s a far cry from “you’re gorgeous!” but that’s what he means. In his world “you’re gorgeous” and “you aren’t hideous” are the same thing.
6. He sent me love letters while he was in Europe for a month. From all sorts of exotic locales.
7. He makes me grow and stretch and expand myself. He encourages me to try new things, rekindle old relationships, pick up new hobbies, pursue old ones. To push myself to be the most interesting, vital, strong woman I’m meant to be. He makes me leave the house once in a while, cash in hand, no cell phone, no curfew.
8. He doesn’t call it “babysitting” when he takes care of OUR children so I can have a night away. He doesn’t consider it a trial when I leave with girlfriends for a week away. Nor does he complain about the money I spend while gone.
9. He’s compassionate. I knew this before I married him, but it’s grown over the years. I had a horrific knee surgery 5 months before we were married and Viktor was there every. step. of. the. way. Literally. He didn’t eat in front of me when I was pre-op and hungry, stayed to watch the entire 8 hour surgery, and held my hair while I puked. It was great practice for both pregnancies.
10. He paid for my wedding dress. Which speaks for itself.

I’m completely in love with him, totally happy I married him and am excited to spend the rest of forever by his side. I love that I’m smaller than he is, that he routinely carries me around in his arms, piggyback, or on his shoulders. I love that he pinches my bum and kisses me in front of the neighbors/kids/checkout clerks at the grocery store.
Happy Anniversary V! Here’s to another 40.

{We’ve secured two sets of babysitters and we’re off to spend the day ALONE in the the city! Hooray!}

Allison

Hello there! I'm Allison Czarnecki, founder + editor of Petit Elefant, a blog all about style on a budget for every part of your life: style / home / travel / family. I do a lot of how-to beauty + style tutorials, travel posts, easy recipes, home remodel projects, and cool DIY crafts you totally want to try. I'm super happily married (to a hot Polish immigrant) and am the mother of two kids, a daughter and son, all of whom are featured here on the regular. We live in the country but we're a little bit rock + roll. Welcome!